The Heart Grows Fonder
by Omoni
Summary: Spanning over several years, season by season. A look into the love and trials of Suki and Sokka's relationship together post-war. Contains spoilers for the entire series.
1. Year 1: Summer

_Writer's Note: You know, for as much as I enjoy this pairing, I realised I don't really seem to write a lot about them; I instead write stories about Mai/Zuko and Aang/Katara and feature Suki and Sokka in the background and allow the reader to fill in the blanks. And then I realised how much I really wanted to write a little romantic story about these two, and how it's just the sort of thing that I should have written sooner. So, here we go: a little Sukka romance spanning over several years (unrelated to any of my past stories). Enjoy!

* * *

_**The Heart Grows Fonder**  
**Or, a Suki/Sokka Romance **

_Year 1  
_

_Summer  
_

"So, what now?"

Suki said it calmly, plainly, her face an image of tranquility. Sokka stared at her, wondering how she could even ask, wondering how she could ask so calmly. It had been their one moment of privacy together during the whole day, the two of them surrounded by friends and family and tea. When, for the moment, the others were distracted by each other, Suki had drifted to his side and placed her callused hand upon his, her question as calm as her stance.

"I mean," she went on, looking to the side a little. He knew that look well; it meant she was about to say something she didn't like, no matter how honest it was. "We both have to go home."

"Oh," he murmured, his face growing warm. _Home_. A place other than Appa's saddle. A place he hadn't been to in over a year, one that seemed so far away and distant, another world altogether. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I mean, I have to go home, too," Suki added, sounding like she was rushing to get the words out. "I have to get back to the Island, finalise Ty Lee's place as a Warrior, get back into a routine..."

"Right."

"And you have to get back to the South Pole, check on everyone who lives there, make sure everything is okay and perfect for the men returning back."

"You're right."

"Yeah." The word was flat, sad, and Suki's eyes never returned to his, her fingers drifting up and down his own.

"So what are you saying, Suki?" he blurted out, keeping his voice low but making sure his tone conveyed his frustration. They had finally gotten back together, finally taken down the Firelord, finally found a routine that they had settled on here in Ba Sing Se, and now she was bringing up _home?_

She didn't wince, but her eyes narrowed, and she looked back at him. "You know what I'm saying, Sokka."

Something desperate seemed to leap into his chest, the same desperation he had felt when Azula taunted him in the bunkers of the Fire Nation. He placed his other hand on top of hers and held it tight. He looked at her, really and truly, and finally her eyes met his again. They were light, and full of unshed tears, but her mouth was set. Clearly, she thought that this was the only solution.

"Hey," he said softly, "this isn't the only way. You know I love you, right?"

Her eyes sparked a little, but she nodded.

"And I think I know you love me." When she repeated the gesture more fervently, he went on. "So letting some stupid thing like distance get between us, after all we've been through? Not happening."

"But," and here her iron look vanished, into one of both gratitude and confusion. "How can it work?"

"Hey, I still have Hawky!" he replied, before adding hesitantly, "Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, anyway. And I'm sure once things settle down I can come visit you!"

A small smile graced her lips, and Sokka knew that she had been more than prepared to bid him farewell once this trip concluded. The very thought of it brought an ache to his heart. "Yeah, you're right," she said softly.

"So can we stop talking about breaking up, now? Because, really, it's killing my ability to draw."

Suki jumped on the bait. "But I just told you now. How could it have affected your drawing skills before I even told you?"

He scowled at her, and she laughed, music to his ears.


	2. Year 1: Fall

_Year 1  
_

_Fall  
_

If Suki had to sweep any more leaves off of her front porch, she really was going to scream.

She had done it at least _six times_ the previous day, only to wake up to a blanket of them all over her once-immaculate steps once more. She scowled, then kicked at them. Only a few succumbed to her furious foot, and only then they merely fluttered away a few inches onto the ground below.

With a sigh, she looked up. The sky was an overcast grey, and the air tasted dank and damp. It was either going to rain or snow, and Suki wasn't sure which one she dreaded the most.

It was still early, so only a few murmurs of the early-rising merchants could be heard over the silence of the morning. Suki always ended up being the first one to wake up, even before she became leader, and the idea of waking up her other Warriors wasn't very pleasing.

But, there was work to do. Fall meant harvest. Fall meant preserving anything they could. Fall meant preparing for the long winter ahead, one that wouldn't see a ship or boat for months to come. Kyoshi was self-sufficient, but now, with the borders open due to the newborn peace-time, the village had grown spoiled over the past couple of months with the idea of depending on ships for what they needed.

_Well, this winter is going to be a wake-up call,_ she vowed stonily.

The last ship that would dock for the season was due that afternoon. Everyone was excited about the prospect of it, not realising the reality behind the novelty. She wondered when the people of Kyoshi got so spoiled, and marvelled how it took such a short period of time to get them that way.

"Suki!"

Blinking, Suki shaded her eyes with her hand and peered towards the sound. A figured in green and white streaked across the field, and the image of Ty Lee, dressed in full Warrior regalia, greeted her with a wide, red-painted smile.

"You're already awake," Suki blinked when Ty Lee was close. "And you're in uniform. You know that today we're not doing patrols. Why are you in uniform?"

Ty Lee decided to assault Suki with a tight hug before responding. Suki took it well enough, but still flinched a bit when the other girl threw herself towards her. _Some old habits die hard, I suppose,_ she thought.

"I wanted to get a head start on my studies," Ty Lee admitted cheerfully. Suki raised an eyebrow. While Ty Lee had been permitted to wear the full uniform of a Warrior at Zuko's coronation, she still had several years before she was officially considered one. Allowing her to wear it was a formality, a declaration that Kyoshi Island was no longer a closed society to others - others that especially included the Fire Nation.

"But you're in full uniform," Suki answered gently.

"I know," was the answer, "but I got so excited about learning about paints that I couldn't help but try them on. Only, they looked weird when I was just wearing blue, so I put on the practise robes. And then _that_ didn't look right either, so I tried the armour and the fans and the headpiece..." She took a breath, looking thrilled. "And then I heard you were awake and wanted to come and see you."

Suki couldn't help but smile. She liked Ty Lee; it was hard not to. She wasn't sure what to think when the other Warriors swore up and down that Ty Lee was a good person and deserved to join their ranks, but once she actually had time to spend with her, it was easier to see that they had been right. It was the same thing with Mai, too.

"But why did you need to see me so quickly?"

Ty Lee blinked, then looked to the side, and Suki instantly knew that she was hiding something. "I was just wondering if the ship had arrived yet."

Suki crossed her arms over her chest. "Did you order something that you need?" she asked flatly, already knowing the answer.

Ty Lee grinned. "Maybe," was the reply.

"Well, you're up. Might as well put you to use. Get changed and meet me back here when you're done. We have to get everyone rallied together anyway, and I could use an extra set of hands."

"Great!" And Ty Le was off and running, a streak of rich green amidst reds and oranges.

* * *

The ship docked an hour late, which wasn't so bad. It could have been much worse, and Suki had used that hour to her full advantage.

She didn't find out _why_ the ship was late until almost all of the cargo was unloaded.

She was speaking with the captain, eager for news and gossip that letters alone failed to provide. The captain was eager to oblige, set on unloading piles of stories onto a new set of ears that had yet to hear it even once. From him, Suki learned that Aang was travelling around the world again, spreading the news of the Fire Nation's settlement into peace, and that for the most part it seemed to be working. People had hope again; they were eager to travel, to learn, to spend and create again.

"Creates work for me," the captain laughed. "Which is never wrong."

"What about in the South?" Suki wondered, trying to keep her voice neutral. She didn't want to admit it, but she missed Sokka - a lot - and while his letters were like hearing his voice in her head, she longed to see him more than she even thought she could. She figured that any news from the South would help her get over her childish fancies - she and Sokka were adult warriors, after all.

"Did a stop-over this trip," the captain replied. "Had to pick up a lone passenger who yelped and hollered and demanded passage." He jerked his thumb backwards. "He's from the Pole. You can ask him anything, I'll bet - the guy's a talker."

"Guy?" Suki followed the direction that was being pointed out, and her eyes fell on a speck of blue and white and she almost keeled over, right there.

Of course it was Sokka. Of course he was darting forward to close the distance between them with a shout of her name and a wave. And of course she practically leapt into his arms and hugged him as hard as she could, seeking kisses and seeking to kiss all over his windburnt and silly face.

"Aren't you going to ask what I'm doing here?" he wondered breathlessly, his grin wide.

"Nope," she replied. "You're here. That's all I care about. Semantics can come later."


	3. Year 1: Winter

_Year 1  
_

_Winter_

Sokka wasn't there to loaf, although he admitted that a small part of him really had hoped he would be. Suki was quick to put him to work, using his status as honourary Kyoshi Warrior as an excuse to work him just as hard as her women.

"You know," he whined one day, trying to see her through a thick curtain of snow that was falling stubbornly around them, "I'm not _really_ a Warrior, and you can't _really_ boss me around."

Suki sniffed, looking as if she were blending into the snow with her make-up on. Wordlessly, she piled another heavy chest onto the two already in his arms. "You're here, and you have no means of escape," she replied. "You're going to work." On that, she knelt down and picked up a stack of boxes, and together the two of them made their way to the main hall.

Sokka had to admit that while winters were obviously hard work for the people of Kyoshi, they seemed to have handling it down to a routine. He and Suki weren't the only ones making their way to the largest building on the Island; if he squinted, he could see several figures in blue carrying their own burdens, bringing food, blankets, and supplies. Before the heavy freeze set in, these supplies would be doled out evenly amongst the villagers and a kind of hibernation period would begin, what Suki and Oyaji both called "the Long Nights".

_That_ was something he could understand. In the South, it was rare to even _see_ the sun during the winter, and as his own village got smaller and smaller, the villagers would simply use one tent for everyone, conserving warmth and keeping everyone close and accounted for.

"Hey," Sokka spoke up, spitting out a few snowflakes in-between words. "Why don't you guys just stay in here for the whole season?"

Suki carefully balanced the boxes on her knee as she reached out and pulled the door open. "We tried that once, and it got to be too much. The Warriors and I ended up breaking up more fights than anything else. It was tiresome, especially when someone got sick and spread it to everyone else. It's better this way."

"I'll take your word for it. It just seems like a lot of work to me."

Over her shoulder, Suki flashed him a wide smile. "_Too much_ work for you?"

Sokka scowled. She really knew how to use that smile as well as needle him with his own words. "That's not what I meant."

"Mmhm." Another smile, and then Suki was leading the way into the hall.

Sokka peered in and took a look. The entire hallway was a maze of chests and wooden crates, all of them open and displaying various foodstuffs and supplies. There were even chests full of clothes and medical supplies. Set up near the front was a desk, where one of the Warriors - Zayi, he thought - was seated. In her hand was a long scroll, and when someone came by with a sack of goods, she crossed their name out.

With a grunt, Suki dropped her boxes on the closest patch of bare floor. Sokka followed suit, almost absently, distracted by what was going on. People were lined up calmly, each stopping by the various boxes and chests, and every so often one would pick something out and stuff it into their sack.

"Wouldn't it be easy to just swipe more than they need?" Sokka wondered. "I mean, all Zayi is doing is checking their names. She's not even checking their bags."

"That's Azaki," Suki corrected gently, "and she doesn't need to." She threw her arms up and stretched, and Sokka found his eyes drawn to her without much control. "We know everyone on this Island, if not by name then at least by face. If something is amiss, we'll know - and we'll find out who did it." Her voice was a little strained as she stretched, and the end of the sentence was a little high pitched. She lowered her arms and smiled. "Make sense?"

"Yeah, but," and now Sokka was having issues thinking - _stupid sexy Suki_ - and he had to slow down his words, "what if there was a jerk who doesn't care?"

"What do you think the Kyoshi Warriors were trained for? Decoration?" Suki knelt down and opened one of the chests, making sure the contents were on display. "We were created to keep order on the Island."

Sokka knelt down beside her. "So?"

She reached out and poked his nose. "So, we can handle a few jerks."

He was silent for a moment, thinking. "Okay, let's say there's some kind of fight at one of the taverns. You're kind of like the special police that would go in and break it up?"

Suki nodded. "Of course."

"Then how come you all failed so miserably when Zuko came to the Island?"

The words came out of his mouth without control, and he regretted it instantly. Suki's face darkened, and she said, very slowly, "Would you like to sleep outside tonight?"

Sokka blanched. "No."

"We lost because we were used to dealing with problems _from within_," she said hotly, her eyes burning bright. "If Zuko and his lackeys came by today, we could take them."

Sokka refrained from mentioning Azula - but only just. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"Good," she answered. "Go put those boxes over there."

Sokka obeyed, bemused by her sudden change in moods. He understood that the topic was a sensitive one, but really had been only curious. He hadn't meant to insult or indicate that the Warriors were weak and couldn't defend themselves. And it really was a different thing, defending against drunks versus defending against hardened Fire Nation soldiers.

They worked in brooding silence, Suki refusing to make smalltalk with him for the remaining trips they had to make. Sokka tried to start some, but she wouldn't have any of it, keeping her conversation to short commands. He sighed inwardly, wondering how he could get himself out of this sticky mess.

Then he had it.

When they were on their last trip, he dropped his boxes without much thought, then raced to the boxes he knew carried face-paints and ointments and the like. Digging through it, he found a tube of white foundation and a pallet of red and black. Then he turned back to Suki, who looked confused and annoyed, and declared, without preamble, "If I let you dress me up like a girl, will you call it even?"

Suki's eyes widened, and for a moment her lips twitched. Then she glared, crossed her arms over her chest, and said, "You'd have to wear the full uniform, too."

Sokka grinned. With that, he knew they were okay.

* * *

When the snow at last carpeted and buried the entire Island, Suki and Sokka curled up in front of the fire in her house, sharing several blankets. Underneath, both he and her were dressed in warm and woolly clothes, but it wasn't the fire that kept Sokka feeling so warm - it was Suki. She curled up at his side, half-asleep, her face bare and her hair loose and in her face. She wore an expression of contentment, and he wondered suddenly just how many times she had had to sit the winter through all alone. The thought saddened him.

"So," she murmured suddenly, her eyes still closed. "Why did you come here?"

Sokka smiled. He pulled her closer, closing his eyes and letting the warmth of the fire - as well as Suki's own personal warmth - seep into him. "Why do you think?" he replied.

"Won't your dad need you this year? Won't things be hectic?"

"Katara and Aang will be there," he replied easily. "And while I doubt any of them could build a watchtower like me, I'm still confident that they can hold the fort until I come back."

A small silence passed between them, broken only by the crackles from the fire and the wind rushing against the walls.

Then, almost a whisper, Suki said, "Thank you."

Sokka leaned down and kissed her nose gently. Suki opened her eyes, reached up with one hand, and cupped his cheek, bringing his face back down for more kisses. He complied. It wasn't hard to get lost in Suki's kisses, and he didn't mind one bit.


End file.
